OFF THE WALL: Professor Sees Growth Potential for ‘Grass Paint’

With the warmer temperatures, many Americans are beginning to consider mowing and lawn maintenance for their… eh hmm… building facades.

Wait a minute…their building facades?

It could be the future if Sangmin Bae, a professor from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has any say in the matter.

Bae, in conjunction with his ID+IM Design Laboratory in Korea, has developed a “Grass Paint” product technology that makes it possible to plant grass anywhere, even on building walls or asphalt, according to the product description.

His two-component formulation combines grass seeds with a mixture of plant nutrients, pulp, and CMC nontoxic glue that is reported to work by rolling the “seed roller” in the mixture and then onto any surface.

Grass is reported to appear in a matter of days and live up to six months, depending on climate and type of seed used.

The uses for the prototype vary, according to an article on fastcodesign.com. The author suggests the grass paint could be used to cover unsightly graffiti that plagues buildings or public spaces or perhaps cool off hot asphalt parking lots by transforming them into temporary parks. See Grass Paint Turns Buildings Into Mega Chia Pets.

But a grassy facade? The aesthetic merits of the idea would seem debatable. On the other hand, the potential for a relatively non-intensive “green roof” might be greater.

Bae also told Co.Design the idea for the grass paint germinated from looking at ways to express “visual enjoyment” in an eco-friendly fashion.

And so, in the future, it could be just another chore…”Go mow the building.”

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